JP2871099B2 - Flexible polyvinyl chloride product and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A two layer flexible article includes a first layer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and a second layer of polyester polyurethane which incorporates a texturizing agent. The article preferably is a glove formed by the method of dipping a hand shaped form into a first bath containing a PVC plastisol and a second bath containing a polyester polyurethane emulsion incorporating a texturizing agent and a slip agent. In a finished glove of the present invention the PVC layer forms the outside or patient contacting surface and the polyester polyurethane with the texturizing agent and the slip agent incorporated therein forms the inner user contacting surface. Gloves of the present invention are substantially donnable without the need for donning powders.

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to flexible products, and more particularly, to powder-free polyvinyl chloride test gloves and a method of making the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Flexible waterproof gloves are an important tool for the pharmaceutical industry.
These classic gloves were molded from natural rubber latex by dipping a handprint mold into latex, curing the latex into a continuous film, and then removing the glove from the mold. Since gloves molded from natural rubber are self-adhesive innately, it is necessary to apply a powder release agent on the mold before dipping so that the molded glove does not adhere to the mold.

Natural rubber latex is expensive and can have allergic potential. The development of synthetic polymers has made it possible to produce flexible film gloves from materials other than natural synthetic latex, polyurethanes and acrylates can be molded into natural rubber, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a plastisol Thus, a film glove having substantially the same properties as natural rubber latex can be manufactured. A representative of these vinyl gloves is Tru-Touch® (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, NJ).

Gloves made from PVC plastisols are also self-adhesive, and release agents similar to those used in latex gloves are used for these PVC gloves.

With the advent of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), film gloves are more often and more often worn by laboratory workers and doctors. Many workers who used to wear only when needed now need to wear it almost continuously. This increased need for use results in greater exposure of the user population to gloves, and reports of examples of allergic susceptibility to some substances used in glove molding and powder release agents used in gloves It has been. In addition, for some applications, the presence of a powder release agent on the glove interferes with the user's behaving procedures when wearing the glove. There have been several reports on the elimination of powder release agents on natural rubber latex, for example the use of chemical treatments such as halogenation of natural rubber latex or the adhesion of lubricants to glove surfaces.

U.S. Patent No. 5,088,125 to Ansell et al.
Teaches elastomeric gloves, but has good donning properties, such as talc.
ning agent) and without the production of internal laminates by the polymerization method. The patent further discloses a glove coated with a second elastomeric material comprising a ionic polyurethane and a dispersed second polymer having a larger particle size than the ionic polyurethane, the glove having a hand-contacting surface. Teaches gloves molded from a flexible elastomeric material. Only organic polymer materials having a larger particle size than polyurethane are suggested as dispersed particulate material.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,109 to Stockum teaches a method of making medical gloves that are coherent and uniform to the wearer and that can be worn without the use of additional lubricants. The patent teaches a medical glove having an outer layer of an elastomeric material. A separate inner layer of elastomeric material is bonded to the outer layer, and the particulate material is safely embedded within the inner layer and randomly dispersed. The particulate material is preferably partially exposed to the inner skin contact layer, thereby forming protrusions on the inner surface in size and morphology, and with a quantitative distribution similar to powdered gloves. Spreads on the inner surface. The patent teaches the use of microbeads of polyurethane as well as other polymers, both of which are naturally occurring and artificial. Corn starch and crosslinked corn starch are taught as being particularly suitable materials and having desired lubricating properties.

Although the teachings of the above-cited patents provide those skilled in the art with several glove manufacturing methods to provide gloves that can be worn without the need for a release agent, the lubricating properties of partially exposed deposits There is still a need for vinyl gloves that can be worn without powder, without relying solely on and that can be effectively manufactured.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A flexible product includes a first layer of plasticized polyvinyl chloride and a second layer adhered to the first layer. The second layer includes a polyester polyurethane, a slip agent and a finish.

The product is preferably a medically useful two-layer glove. The glove includes a first patient contact layer formed as a film of a plasticized polyvinyl chloride resin and a second user contact layer formed of a film of polyester polyurethane. The patient contact layer is preferably formed from a condensed polyvinyl chloride gel plasticized with a plasticizer such as a phthalic acid ester, an adipic acid ester and the like.

The user contact layer includes a slip agent and a finish that provides a textured surface, whereby the user contact layer slides on the user's skin by itself, i.e., without the need for powders of the gloves of the present invention. Can be worn.

A method for making gloves of the present invention useful in medicine is to dip a clean handprint mold having a surface into a first bath containing polyvinyl chloride plastisol. A plastisol film is formed on the surface of the mold, and the mold is then removed from the first bath. The mold having the first film on its surface is heated to gel the plastisol and condense. The mold with the first film on its surface is then cooled and soaks a second bath containing the polyester polyurethane, slip agent and finish. Next, a second film of the polyester polyurethane, slip agent and finishing agent is formed on the first film, and the mold having the first film and the second film on its surface is dried by heating to form the first film and the second film. Glue. This forms a two-layer unit structure on the surface of the mold. Next, a cuff is formed on the unit structure on the surface of the mold. Turning over peels the unit structure from the surface of the mold, thereby forming a glove having a patient contact layer on the outer surface and a user contact layer on the content surface.

A method of making a medically useful glove includes forming a first layer of a plastisol of polyvinyl chloride on the exterior surface of a bill mold. Next, a second layer of polyester polyurethane, slip agent and finish is adhered to the first layer on the mold to form.

The gloves of the present invention are extremely flexible, have excellent elongation and strength, but have a thickness that provides excellent tactile sensitivity. In addition, the presence of slip agents and finishes in the user contact layer facilitates stripping and flipping of gloves from the mold, thereby achieving previously impossible manufacturing efficiencies in powderless gloves. You. The slip and finish substantially eliminate glove self-adhesion and allow the user to wear the glove without the need for powder on the surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a step of forming a glove of the present invention without using a powder.

FIGS. 2a and 2b are a schematic view (2a) of a cross section of the surface of a glove of the prior art and a microphotograph (2b) of the cross section and surface of the glove of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION While the present invention is fulfilled by many different embodiments, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is to be understood as illustrative of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the described embodiments. Preferred embodiments are described in detail.

According to the present invention, a flexible product having a first layer formed of plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a PVC copolymer and a second layer of polyester polyurethane, a slip agent and a finish bonded to the first layer is produced. Can be done.

Medically useful gloves are plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
Or a first patient contact layer formed from a PVC copolymer,
And a second user contact layer formed from polyester polyurethane adhered to the first layer. The glove of the present invention preferably contains a slip agent and a finishing agent in the user contact layer. The user contact layer itself slides due to the presence of the slip agent and the finish, and provides a user contact layer surface with micro-texture that substantially reduces the contact area between the user's skin and the glove surface. Allows gloves to be easily worn without the powders required for current PVC gloves.

In gloves that use powder, the powder acts as a lubricant that separates the glove surface and inhibits adhesion to each other, as well as sliding the glove surface against the user's skin by reducing the area of contact. Stockum (Stockum)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,109 teaches that an elastomeric glove substrate has a second layer over the substrate layer having a particle suspension in the elastomeric material. The stocker should be raised through the surface with the parts that are exposed to the outside due to the size of the particles being greater than the thickness of the second layer, so that the lubricating properties of the particles make the surface easier to slip Teaches you to help. The patent further teaches that the particles are preferably physiologically inert, have a smooth surface, and have a low coefficient of friction. The preferred material taught by Stockham is corn starch crosslinked with epichlorohydrin, a material used in many powdered gloves as a lubricating powder.

Surprisingly, the present invention can utilize materials that are used commercially as abrasives, such as calcium carbide, synthetic amorphous silicates, silicates, diatomaceous earth, and glass beads. In the present invention, the assorted material used as a finish in the user contact layer is substantially coated with a polyester polyurethane, but rather than having a partially exposed and thus potentially removable surface, It provides a surface with increased slip properties by preventing smoothing, i.e., substantially reducing contact between the glove surface and the user's skin and reducing friction.

Several commercially available powder-free glove samples were tested with the present invention for the coefficient of static friction (COF) peaks using ASTM test method D-1894, which is incorporated herein by reference. The test apparatus (Kayeness D5095D) was set on a sled to 190 grams at 15.2 cm / min. Table 1 shows the coefficient of friction and standard deviation (in parentheses) at ambient temperature (between about 23 ° C. and about 30 ° C.) and elevated temperature (about 65 ° C. to about 70 ° C.). For the purpose of this experiment,
Temperature deviations at ambient and elevated temperatures are not significant.

This result indicates that the present invention has a lower coefficient of friction as compared to the commercial products tested. Further, it is believed that the presence of the oxidized polyethylene slip agent in the second layer of the present invention provides a substantially lower coefficient of friction at elevated temperatures. This low coefficient of friction at elevated temperatures promotes rapid stripping and flipping of the gloves of the present invention from the mold.

The materials in the following list have been found to be suitable for use in representative embodiments of the preferred embodiments of the invention. These reagents and the following examples are illustrative, but not limiting, of the present invention, i.e., the methods and processes of the present invention in a preferred embodiment, gloves suitable for use in medicine.

I. Intrinsic viscosity of about 0.7 to about 1.5 (ASTM D-1243 Method A) II.PVC plasticizer III. Stabilizers Suitable stabilizers are epoxidized tall oil, epoxidized soybean oil, transition metal soap and the like.

iV, viscosity modifier V. Finishing agent V. Slip agent VI. Flow enhancer VII. Polyester polyurethane emulsion VIII. Antifoaming agent IX. Surfactant (modified aliphatic polyether) EXAMPLES Referring to the schematic diagram for manufacturing a preferred embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 1), a clean mold having a human handprint on an external surface is heated to a temperature of about 70 ° C. to about 95 ° C. and PVC.
The mold is immersed in a first bath maintained at about 35 ° C. to about 45 ° C. containing a plastisol or a PVC copolymer containing maleic acid ester or acrylic acid ester as the plastisol. PVC plastisol has an intrinsic viscosity of about 0.7 to about 1.
5 (ASTM D-1243 Method A); polyvinyl chloride dispersion resin; plasticizer, preferably phthalic or adipic mono- or diesters having a chain of 7 to 10 carbon atoms and blends thereof; including stabilizer component and pigment Is preferred. The plastisol may also include viscosity modifiers, defoamers, and the like. The residence time of the mold in the first bath, the solids content of the bath and the temperature all affect the thickness of the film formed. Preferably, the residence time is about 0.03 mm for plastisol
This is a time sufficient to form a film from about 0.14 mm to about 0.14 mm, depending on the desired film thickness and glove application intent. The ratio of resin to plasticizer is from about 0.8: 1 to about
1.2: 1 is preferred.

The mold with the plastisol on its surface is then removed from the first bath and placed in an oven to gel to condense the plastisol film. Preferably, the oven conditions and residence time are sufficient to raise the temperature of the film from about 160 ° C to about 195 ° C.

The gelling and condensation steps bring the plastisol compound from a liquid state to a substantially solid state. The gelling and condensation steps involve solvation of the resin with a plasticizer at elevated temperatures. Plasticizers are poor solvents at ambient temperature, however, at elevated temperatures, they continue to exhibit physical properties,
Dissolves or condenses resins with elongation, tensile strength, and elasticity. In the present invention, the plastisol in the first bath must be maintained at a temperature sufficient to wet and suspend the PVC resin particles, but below the temperature at which gelation and condensation occur. Once the mold with the liquid plastisol film on its surface is removed from the bath, drain and then heat the oven to cause gelation and condensation. The exact times and temperatures for these steps depend on the particular resin, plasticizer, resin / plasticizer ratio, desired film thickness, and desired throughput for glove manufacture.

Following gelation and condensation, the mold with the integrated PVC film on its surface is cooled to strengthen the film and cool the film from about 75 ° C to about 90 ° C. A mold having a first film on its surface is immersed in a second tub, the second tub comprising an aqueous suspension of polyester polyurethane and a finishing agent to form a second film of polyurethane, wherein the finishing agent Covers the entire first film. The second bathtub is about 5
And preferably about 30 percent solids, and preferably a polyester polyurethane that acts as a binder, a surface transfer slip agent, a suspending agent and a finish. Preferred polyester polyurethanes have about 13 to about 17 weight percent of Solucote 1051 I-35.
It is. Suitable slip agents have a molecular weight of about 4000 to about 10,000.
00 Dalton oxidized polyethylene. The preferred oxidized polyethylene is an aqueous emulsion, having an average particle size of about 2.5 to about 50 nanometers ( ^10-9 nanometers). The slip agent is present in the second bath at between about 7 and about 20 percent as an aqueous emulsion. The slip agent functions to make it easier to remove the glove surface from the mold surface by heating. The finish has a particle size distribution of about 1
Preferred is a well-grained material from about 1 to about 50 microns, preferably from about 1 to about 50 microns. The granular material can be calcium carbide, diatomaceous earth, synthetic aluminosilicate, glass beads, silica, synthetic silicate, and the like. The finish is present in the second bath at about 0.5 to about 2.0% (w / w). Preferably, the finish has a particle size distribution of about 1 to about 50.
Micron calcium carbide, present in the second bath at about 1% (w / w). Preferably, the second bath also contains a dispersant, a surfactant and an antifoam. The mold having the first and second layers on its surface is then removed from the second bath and heated in an oven, and the second film is dried, the second film is adhered to the first film, and A two-layer unit structure is formed on the mold surface. The unit structure is maintained between about 70 ° C and about 90 ° C, and turned over (cuf
f) Form a roll on the unit structure. The structure is then stripped and flipped from the mold surface forming a glove having a patient contact layer on the outer surface and a user contact layer on the inner surface.

Preferably, the final glove is counted and packaged in a storage carton.

Example 1 A clean mold having bills as the outer surface was heated to about 70
PV maintained at about 35 ° C to about 45 ° C from about 95 ° C to about 95 ° C
It was immersed in a C plastisol bath to form a PVC plastisol film on its surface. The mold with the film on its surface is removed from the first tub, drained, and the film on the surface is gelled and condensed in an oven with an average thickness of about 0.08 mm at a temperature of about 160 ° C to about 195 ° C did. Cooling the film to about 75 ° C to about 90 ° C and immersing it in a second tub maintained at about 35 ° C to about 45 ° C containing an aqueous emulsion containing polyurethane, slip agent and finish,
A second layer was formed on the first layer. The mold with the first and second layers is removed from the second bath, drained, and
To about 90 ° C. and dried, and a unit structure was formed by bonding the second layer to the first layer. Turn over (cu
ff) was formed on the unit structure, and the glove was peeled off and turned over to form a glove.

Bath composition of Example 1 Example 2 A clean mold with bills as the outer surface was heated to about 70
PV maintained at about 35 ° C to about 45 ° C from about 95 ° C to about 95 ° C
It was immersed in a C plastisol bath to form a PVC plastisol film on its surface. The mold with the film on its surface is removed from the first tub, drained, and the film on the surface is gelled and condensed in an oven with an average thickness of about 0.08 mm at a temperature of about 160 ° C to about 195 ° C did. Cooling the film to about 75 ° C to about 90 ° C and immersing it in a second tub maintained at about 35 ° C to about 45 ° C containing an aqueous emulsion containing polyurethane, slip agent and finish,
A second layer was formed on the first layer. The mold with the first and second layers is removed from the second bath, drained, and
To about 90 ° C. and dried, and a unit structure was formed by bonding the second layer to the first layer. Turn over (cu
ff) was formed on the unit structure, and the glove was peeled off and turned over to form a glove.

Bathtub composition of Example 2 Example 3 A clean mold with bills as the outer surface was heated to about 70
PV maintained at about 35 ° C to about 45 ° C from about 95 ° C to about 95 ° C
It was immersed in a C plastisol bath to form a PVC plastisol film on its surface. The mold with the film on its surface is removed from the first tub, drained, and the film on the surface is gelled and condensed in an oven with an average thickness of about 0.08 mm at a temperature of about 160 ° C to about 195 ° C. did. Cooling the film to about 75 ° C to about 90 ° C and immersing it in a second tub maintained at about 35 ° C to about 45 ° C containing an aqueous emulsion containing polyurethane, slip agent and finish,
A second layer was formed on the first layer. The mold with the first and second layers is removed from the second bath, drained, and
To about 90 ° C. and dried, and a unit structure was formed by bonding the second layer to the first layer. Turn over (cu
ff) was formed on the unit structure, and the glove was peeled off and turned over to form a glove.

Example 3 Bathtub Composition While a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a glove having the physical properties as shown in Table 2 below, the present invention forms a film from about 0.035 mm to about 0.150 mm for a particular application.

Referring to FIGS. 2a and 2b, prior art schematics taught by Stocker show the surface of a glove having particulate material with a protruding surface portion through the adhesive layer surface (FIG. 2).
a), and a microphotograph of the inventive surface for comparison (FIG. 2b) shows the surface of the user contact layer with the particulate material embedded and substantially covered by the polyester polyurethane.

The gloves of the present invention are made of PVC containing widely used powder.
It provides similar strength and tactility as gloves such as Tru-Touch®, but offers the benefits of wearing without powder.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification symbol FI B32B 5/16 B32B 5/16 27/08 27/08 (72) Inventor Vandepol, Mark E Mountain, Los Gatos, California, United States of America・ Charlie Load 25150 (56) References JP-A-1-221501 (JP, A) JP-A-60-119204 (JP, A) JP-A-3-502529 (JP, A) US Patent 3052941 (US, A) U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,109 (US, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) A41D 19/00 A41D 19/04 A61B 19/04 A61L 31/00 B29C 41/14 B32B 5/16 B32B 27/08

Claims (24)

(57) [Claims] 1. A first layer comprising a plasticized polyvinyl chloride resin;
And a polyester polyurethane, a second layer adhered to the first layer, comprising a slip agent and a finish having a molecular weight of about 4,000 to about 10,000 and an average particle size of about 25 to about 50 nanometers. 2. The flexible article of claim 1, wherein the first layer is a condensed polyvinyl chloride plasticized with a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of adipic acid esters and phthalic acid esters. 3. A patient contacting first layer formed of a plasticized polyvinyl chloride resin film; and a user contacting second layer formed of a polyester polyurethane film and adhered to the patient contacting layer. A two-layer medical glove comprising: 4. The glove of claim 3, wherein the patient contact layer is formed of condensed polyvinyl chloride plasticized with a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of adipic acid esters and phthalic acid esters. 5. The glove has an average thickness of about 0.035 mm to about 0.150.
The glove according to claim 3, which is mm. 6. The method according to claim 6, wherein the user contact layer further comprises about 4,000 to about 10,000.
By providing a textured surface by including a slip agent and a finish having a molecular weight of 0 and an average particle size of from about 25 to about 50 nanometers, the user contact layer slides itself on the user's hand. The glove according to claim 3, characterized in that the glove can be easily worn without requiring powder by sliding the glove. 7. The glove according to claim 6, wherein the finishing agent is a uniform particle selected from the group consisting of amorphous synthetic silica, diatomaceous earth, silica, glass beads, and calcium carbide. 8. The glove of claim 7, wherein the assorted material has a particle size distribution of about 1 to about 75 microns. 9. The glove of claim 8, wherein the assorted material has a particle size distribution of about 1 to about 75 microns and comprises calcium carbide. 10. Dipping a clean handprint mold having a surface in a first bath containing polyvinyl chloride plastisol; forming a first film of plastisol on the surface; removing the mold having the first film from the first bath. Heating the mold having the first film thereon to gel and condense the plastisol; cooling the mold having the first film thereon; polyester polyurethane, molecular weight of about 4,000 to about 10,000 and about 25 to about 50; Immerse the mold having the first film on the surface in a second bath containing an aqueous suspension containing a slip agent and a finish having an average particle size of nanometers; having the first film and the second film on the surface The mold is removed from the second bath; the mold having the first and second films is dried by heating and the first and second films are removed. Gluing and forming a two-layer unit structure on the surface of the mold; forming a flip on the two-layer unit structure on the die; and patient contact on the outer surface by peeling and flipping the unit structure from the die Forming a glove having a layer and a user contact layer on the inner surface. 11. The method according to claim 11, further comprising a counting step and a packaging step after the step of stripping and turning over.
The method according to claim 10. 12. The resin of claim 1 wherein the first bath is a resin selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride copolymer.
11. The method according to claim 10, comprising a liquid plastisol formed by a plasticizer, a stabilizer, a thickener and a color former. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the ratio of resin to plasticizer is from about 0.8: 1 to about 1.2: 1. 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the second bath contains an aqueous anionic polyester polyurethane emulsion, a finish, a suspending agent and a wetting agent. 15. The method according to claim 15, wherein the second bathtub comprises from about 70 weight percent to about
15. The method of claim 14, comprising 95 weight percent water. (16) a finishing agent comprising amorphous synthetic silica, diatomaceous earth,
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the material is a uniform material selected from the group consisting of silica, glass beads, and calcium carbide. 17. The material of the assortment comprises calcium carbide having a particle size distribution of about 1 to about 50 microns.
17. The method according to claim 16. 18. A first layer of polyvinyl chloride plastisol formed on the outer surface of the bill mold; polyester polyurethane, a slip having a molecular weight of about 4,000 to about 10,000 and an average particle size of about 25 to about 50 nanometers. Forming a second layer containing an agent and a finishing agent by adhering to the first layer. 19. The plastisol comprises polyvinyl chloride having an intrinsic viscosity of about 0.7 to about 1.5, and a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of phthalates and adipic esters and diesters and blends thereof. Item 18. The method according to Item 18. 20. The plastisol further comprises a thickener, a stabilizer and a color former, the plastisol has a ratio of resin to plastisol of about 0.8: 1.0 to about 1.0: 1.2, and heats the mold having the first layer. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step comprises gelling and condensing the plastisol. 21. The bath for forming the second layer may further comprise from about 70 percent to about 95 percent of water, a slip agent,
19. The method according to claim 18, comprising a viscosity controlling agent, an antifoaming agent and a wetting agent. 22. The finish is a homogenous material selected from the group consisting of calcium carbide, diatomaceous earth, glass beads, silica and amorphous synthetic silica, and wherein the homogenous material is from about 1 to about 50 microns. 22. The method of claim 21 having a particle size distribution. 23. The method of claim 18, wherein the second layer is dried by heating in an oven and adheres to the first layer to form a unitary structure on the surface of the mold. 24. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming a turn over the unit structure and stripping the structure from the mold to form a glove.